New England Patriots right guard Mike Onwenu is officially on injured reserve after a broken right ankle suffered in Sunday’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving Foxborough without its top interior lineman for at least four games and possibly much longer.
The Patriots announced the IR move on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The earliest Onwenu would be eligible to return is Week 7 against the Chicago Bears. By Thursday, Sept. 24, ESPN’s Adam Schefter was already cautioning that a regular-season return may be unrealistic.
Mike Onwenu injured reserve timeline
Onwenu went down in the first half of New England’s Sept. 20 victory over Pittsburgh when Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt rolled onto his leg during a sack attempt on Drake Maye. He was carted off the field. ESPN reported after the game that the right ankle was broken; coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Monday he did not expect Onwenu “in the short term.”
Placing Onwenu on IR freezes him for a minimum of four contests. That window includes Sunday’s road game at Jacksonville, the Oct. 4 trip to Buffalo, and subsequent AFC East and conference games before the Week 7 Bears matchup becomes the first theoretical return date.
Schefter: don’t count on a regular-season return
On WEEI’s Rich & Ken with Ted Johnson, Schefter said he would be “surprised” if Onwenu returned soon and framed missing the regular season as a realistic outcome, while leaving open a postseason comeback if New England makes a deep run.
“If they could have a deep run, that certainly enhances the chances,” Schefter said, according to Patriots Wire. “The way that I heard is — I think the regular season seems like that’s a realistic goal for him to miss.”
That assessment raises the stakes for New England’s depth chart well beyond Week 3. An interior line built around Onwenu’s power and pass protection now has to stabilize without him for a prolonged stretch.
Who fills the Patriots right guard hole
Greg Van Roten is the clearest short-term starter, bringing more than 100 NFL starts and multi-team experience. Ben Brown and Walter Rouse are also in the mix to help shore up the interior, according to reporting from Patriots Wire and Boston.com.
The club also shuffled roster spots around the IR transaction: punter Mitch Wishnowsky was elevated from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, and tight end Tanner Conner was signed to the practice squad, per the team’s official announcement.
Contract year complication for Onwenu
Onwenu is playing in the final year of his contract, which makes the timing of a serious ankle injury especially difficult. Missing substantial time in 2026 could affect both New England’s midseason offensive consistency and Onwenu’s free-agency leverage entering 2027.
For now, the Patriots’ priority is protecting Maye and sustaining the run game without their best offensive lineman. Depth and scheme adjustments — not a quick Onwenu comeback — appear to be the working plan through at least mid-October.
What it means for New England’s next month
Even if Onwenu progresses ahead of schedule, IR rules keep him unavailable until Week 7 at the earliest. Until then, Boston sports fans should expect Van Roten and company to take the bulk of the snaps while the medical staff treats a significant ankle injury. The Mike Onwenu injured reserve decision is less about one Sunday and more about how New England holds up along the interior line for the heart of the AFC schedule.
